Walk 8 : 5.7 miles

Aston on Trent History Walks

Number 8 : Round Weston

Starting from the All Saint’s Church lychgate head north toward the village centre then at the Post Office turn left into Weston Road.

Stay on Weston Road passing Chellaston Lane, Whitelands Close (1), Valerie Road, (2) Willow Park Way (3) and Yates Avenue (4) before leaving Aston.

As you enter Weston village turn right at the Green (opposite the site of the

Old Plough Inn (5) (now a housing development) up the narrow lane towards Weston Hall / Coopers Arms (6).

In 75 yards take the signed narrow footpath on the left past the back of houses. Skirt the fishing lake until about half-way round then cut left through a gap in the hedge into a large field.

Turn right and follow the perimeter of the field until reaching the main road. Turn left, cross the railway bridge then carefully cross the road (sharp bend) taking the track to Weston Church (7) adjacent to the entrance to the Ukranian Centre

Pass the church and take the footpath to the right between a hedge and horse field. (Signed “Derby Nomad Way”)

Follow the track round the field to merge onto a gravelled track. Turn left and when the track widens, look towards the bottom left and pass to the right of the Ukranian Country Social Club “Hospoda” to take the footpath down to the Trent & Mersey Canal (8)

The two villages of Weston and Aston (9) are closely linked in history. Interesting details of their shared past can be found in the archives of Aston on Trent Local History Group.

Cross the bridge turning left (not under the bridge) onto the canal towpath heading for Weston Lock then on to Aston Lock.(About 1.5 miles)

Cross the lock bridge onto a track between fields to Shardlow Road, turn left to return to Aston village and the church lychgate.

We hope you enjoyed your walk

Find more at www.astonontrenthistory.org.uk

Items of Historic Interest – Walk Number 8

1. Whitelands Close This road name was taken from an 18th century survey of Aston’s field names. It is likely to have got its name from small deposits of gypsum lying close to the surface of the ground.

2. Valerie Road This road was named in remembrance of Valerie M. Webberley, born 1941, died in 1960 at the age of 19 years; the daughter of Horace and Mollie Webberley. Horace was building three roads – Bell Avenue, in memory of Dr. Henry Bell and his wife Dr, Mary Bell who both served Aston as GPs for many years, and Ellison Avenue named after the Reverend Henry Ellison, Rector of Aston from 1916 until 1943.

3. Willow Park Way A major housing development of the 1990s on land formerly occupied by Aston Hall Hospital. The names of other roads leading off, apart from Yates Avenue, come from the names of the hospital wards. Most of the dwellings lie in the parish of Weston on Trent but the area is regarded as being in the settlement of Aston.

4. Yates Avenue Named in memory of Annie Elizabeth Yates who held the important post of Matron Superintendent at the Aston Hall Hospital from soon after its opening in 1925 until her death in 1946 at the age of 63. At the end of this avenue lies Red Lodge, the western lodge leading to Aston Hall.

5. The Old Plough Inn Opposite The Green stands a modern housing development named Old Plough Close. These houses were built on the site of the demolished Old Plough Inn and its adjoining land to the rear. A popular pub for many years it was built in the mid 1840s, the innkeeper was John Henshaw.

6.  Coopers Arms (Weston Hall) Building of this listed property was possibly started in the late 16th or early 17th century by Charles Paget but was never completed. He inherited the Manor of Weston in 1563, but in 1581 was forced into exile for being a Roman Catholic conspirator associated with the Babington Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I. The Manor was forfeited to the Crown until 1603. Anthony Roper was granted the Manor after the death of Charles Paget in 1612. During the English Civil War Cromwell’s troops occupied the Hall in order to control the River Trent crossings. For many years Weston Hall has been in the possession of the Cooper family.

7. St. Mary The Virgin Parish Church A church has stood on this site since Saxon times. Christianity came in the late 7th century but Anglo Saxons began converting to the religion about a century before. The location of the church, somewhat remote from the village, may have been chosen to be close to the River Trent for baptismal purposes The churchyard contains an area for burials of members of the Ukranian community. The Ukranian Youth Association UK took over an ex Army camp shortly after the end of World War II and is still active today. Caravan rallies are held regularly and good use is made of the concert hall and social club.

8. Trent and Mersey Canal/River Trent Crossing the canal near a point known as Weston Cliff it is here that barges carrying gypsum from Aston were unloaded down the slope towards a pool where more barges would be waiting to carry the material downstream to the mills at Kings Mills.

9. Weston and Aston History The two villages are closely linked throughout history. In Saxon times,1009, Earl Morkar was granted the Estate of Weston. The estate included Aston (the east settlement), Shardlow and Wilne, and land in Morley, Smalley. Kidsley, Ingleby and Crich. Its geographical location was of significant strategic importance as it covered a number of river crossings. After the Norman Conquest the Manor was granted to the Earl of Chester, Hugh d’Avranches, a nephew of William the Conquerer. Before his death in 1101 the Earl gifted the Manor to the Abbey of St. Werburgh. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid 16th century the Manor passed to the Bishop of Chester, then to the Crown and finally back into private ownership.